7 days in Greece

Old Mar 5th, 2014, 05:32 PM
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7 days in Greece

Hi all! My boyfriend and I are hoping to spend 7 days in Greece after 10 very busy days traveling around nonstop in Israel in July. A priority is relaxing on beautiful beaches, and I want to make sure we don't over-schedule ourselves trying to see too much. But at the same time, we've never been to Greece and want to make the most of the trip! We care about views/beaches, fun towns, shopping, and food.

Thinking about flying into Athens and heading directly to Santorini for 3 nights. Then perhaps 2 night in Naxos, and ending with 2 nights in Athens to allow for airport issues. Does that sound manageable or a bit rushed? Should we stick with just Santorini (5 nights) and Athens (2 nights) and skip the additional island? I thought Naxos over Mykonos to avoid major tourism, save money, and we don't care so much about "night life." Another question - is Hydra an easier third spot?

Thanks for input!! I know there's a lot of info out there on itineraries but not much on 7-day trips. (We're also considering Turkey but that seems even harder to manage in a week)
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Old Mar 5th, 2014, 05:55 PM
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I would do Santorini for 2 nights only, then to Naxos ... because Santorini beaches are not "beautiful" (it a volcanic island, so beaches are black pebbles/grit). It does have lots of shopping however. Naxos on other hand, has about 12 miles of golden sand beach all in a row ... the island will be buzzing in July everything is busy ... but if you take the bus out to Plaka Beach, it will have more room. One place I like is Aronis taverna and apartments, last bus stop in Plaka -- wide shady terrace on a beach with little shade. Also look at Stella Apartments http://www.naxosnet.com/accommodation/stella/ -- stella has 3 locations so request the Plaka location .. If you want to make the most of your beach time, do NOT take the 9:45 ferry arrives Piraeus 3 pm, occupies middle of a whole day. Take the 6 PM ferry watch sunset on board, arrive Piraeus about midnight. YOu will need to vacate hotel room at noon, but if you ask your hotelier he will stash your bags while you enjoy the beach for the afternoon, and give you a bathroom at 4pm to wash off the sand & put on travel clothes. TIP: get "reserved economy" ferry ticket so when u r tired of sitting on deck u have a guaranteed inside leanback seat for snoozing.

HYdra would not fill your need for relaxing on beautiful beaches, and is a small island; impacted by many tours coming in on ferries.
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Old Mar 5th, 2014, 07:50 PM
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Between Santorini and Naxos,

view: Santorini
beautiful beaches: Naxos
fun towns: Santorini - touristy, Naxos - traditional
shopping: Santorini
food: Santorini - expensive, Naxos - traditional and good
major tourism: Santorini. The main street in Fira/Oia when the cruise boats are in port are like a subway station during the rush hour.

Think what you will be doing in Santorini without beautiful beaches if you are staying three nights = two full days? Naxos has long stretch of beaches you would have always imagined. One of the most memorable meal on islands at any price was at Lefteris Taverna in a mountain village of Apiranthos in Naxos. http://www.currystrumpet.com/2013/10...-lefteris.html This was a small taverna that looked nothing special from the outside or the inside. While many tavernas just served heap of food, this place served well prepared dishes with presentations more commonly seen at high end restaurants but at taverna prices. It is a small place and their dish choices are limited.
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Old Mar 5th, 2014, 11:40 PM
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Personally I don't see this plan as relaxing. Too much packing/unpacking and moving around.
I would stick with Athens + one island.
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Old Mar 6th, 2014, 02:04 AM
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Although I am not so excited for Santorini Island I have to admit it is a romantic place to spend with your boyfriend. But I would prefer to visit one island and only one for such a short period, one like Naxos or maybe Skiathos with many more beautiful beaches (nothing better than relaxing in a beautiful beach, under the sun and with a cocktail in hands). If you are looking to relax, of course, you should avoid the moving around.
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Old Mar 6th, 2014, 07:14 AM
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Another option might be to go directly to Naxos. It has the ambiance you are seeking: budget friendly, great beaches a lovely main town and mountain villages. You can be as relaxed or as busy as you want on Naxos.
The bonus is you can take a day excursion to Santorini on one of the excursion boats Naxos Star or Alexander. They will give you about 6 hours on Santorini so you can see it without having to pay Santorini accommodation prices.

If yu choose to do this you should look at booking flight to an from Naxos asap as the dash 8 aircraft only take 30 passengers and book up fast. Of course there is always the ferry.
Here is what Naxos is like.
Trip around Naxos http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7634605629689/
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Old Mar 6th, 2014, 09:50 AM
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Thank you all for the helpful opinions, recommendations, and links!

To clarify, I definitely want some real beach experience but relaxing by a beautiful pool with a Santorini view is also something we want. I can't really imagine skipping Santorini even though it's not a sandy beach place. I guess the ferry for 6 hours on Santorini could be an option but I worry I'd get there and want to stay longer.

Sounds like flying to Athens and going straight to Naxos for 3 nights, then 3 nights in Santorini, and then 1 night in Athens before a flight could work. Do people think 1 night in Athens is enough? I know it's incredible and arguably worth a whole trip on its own, but since we'll just have done so much history in Israel for 10 days, not sure we'd want more than a day in Athens (clearly it's a diff type of history but still).

Is Corfu worth considering over Naxos?
There's so many options it's hard to think straight

Thanks again!
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Old Mar 6th, 2014, 10:27 AM
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Oh I guess Corfu requires backtracking through Santorini... Probably not a good option then.
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Old Mar 6th, 2014, 10:30 AM
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Oops I meant Athens - backtracking through Athens.
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Old Mar 6th, 2014, 10:59 AM
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Re Athens: depends on how much you care about Greek history... I'm not Greek, but deeply into the idea of how the Greeks started European civilization ...
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Old Mar 6th, 2014, 11:11 AM
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Don't think we care much about it for this first trip (clearly we'll have to come back to get more culture).

History/museums is lower on the list compared to maximizing our time in relaxing, beautiful places. Sounds like 1 night in Athens before our flight is a must so we're not doing Santorini>Athens>Tel Aviv in one day with potential travel glitches.

Thanks Jan!
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Old Mar 7th, 2014, 02:07 PM
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It's me again We're rethinking our priorities, and I'm leaning toward 5 or 6 nights (july 18-july 24/25) on one island and then 1 or 2 nights in Athens before we fly back to Israel.

Santorini does not seem to make much sense for this trip, even though that will be a bummer.

If we shift to ONE island - would Naxos still be our best option? Photos of Corfu look more beautiful with a lusher landscape and still excellent beaches. Although Naxos is closer, both seem like short flights with daily routes from Athens. I've read a fair amount about each island but am curious how they compare. Would really appreciate more feedback. Thanks for your patience with my evolving planning!
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Old Mar 7th, 2014, 02:16 PM
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Having spent time in both Naxos and Santorini I strongly recommend you consider visiting this island. It is simply the most beautiful spot on earth...beaches you can get anywhere...but the views from Oia you will never forget.
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Old Mar 7th, 2014, 02:29 PM
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Hi Lois, thanks for your feedback. That's exactly what I'm worries about! We're from California, it's not like sand is a novel concept to us. Just want that relaxing vacation! Ok back to considering Santorini.
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Old Mar 7th, 2014, 02:44 PM
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I agree with Lois2. Don't skip Santorini. There's a reason it's one of the most popular - and beautiful- islands in Greece! The views are easily some of the most stunning I've ever seen, and that includes The Amalfi Coast.

We stayed in Oia, which was insanely busy at sunset, but much more manageable ( still a bit crowded) during the day. We took a private tour of the caldera, volcano, and sulphur springs, which I'd highly recommend. Also would recommend at least one dinner in Amoudi Bay, where you can eat at any number of incredible seafood restaurants. You access it from a long staircase at the end of town in Oia.

Anyway, we had a great time in Santorini. Also a great time in Naxos, but for a first visit to Greece, I think it would be a mistake to skip Santorini!
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Old Mar 8th, 2014, 06:46 PM
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Once you go to Greece it will beckon you to return. The view on Santorini was incredable-we went there on our 2nd trip to Greece. The water is such a beautiful color of blues-just sitting under an umbrella and having a bite to et & drink is pure bliss. I think less is more-enjoy
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Old Mar 9th, 2014, 08:24 AM
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Just to add to the good advice if it is only one island then it really does have to be Santorini. In my opinion a must see destination for a first time visitor. You will have sufficient time to explore. Why not look for one of the traditional villages like Finikea just a kilometer from Oia. This is what Greece used to be like. Visit Pylos a medieval town with a wall and great views over the island.
For antiquities visit ancient Thira and Akrotiri.
For a completely different beach experience find Red beach a short hike from Acrotiri. The beach and cliffs are red.
We actually did what you are planning. Caught the first flight out of Tel Aviv and flew to Athens then connected to a flight to Santorini. No problem at all. Aegean flies both routes so you can check your bags straight through and if anything goes wrong Aegean has to get you there.
It is always best to leave a couple of days at the end of the trip in Athens so you are there for your return flight and that gives you enough time to explore the area around the Acropolis.
Santorini http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632154800782/
Athens http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632121475515/
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Old Mar 9th, 2014, 10:26 AM
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Great advice above! Try to book your flights to/from whichever island you choose ASAP. The planes are small and book up fast for the summer months.
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Old Mar 9th, 2014, 06:00 PM
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Thank you all! Really appreciate the advice.

As much as I keep going back and forth on whether to do 2 islands including Santorini... I'd like to consider a more relaxed trip with just one. If we picked only one island, hoping to get to Santorini in the future when we can afford it luxurously, what would people suggest?

Likely 5 but maybe 6 nights. Corfu's greenery appeals to me more than videos and pictures of Naxos. And a day trip to Paxi seems like a good bonus. Corfu sounds like it has everything Naxos has in terms of restaurants, towns, likely boat ports, and quality beaches. Corfu also seems more manageable than Crete. Thoughts?

Many many thanks!
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Old Mar 10th, 2014, 12:08 AM
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In general Naxos is more fertile than other Cyclades islands, but Cyclades is not the place to go for greenery.
Crete is too large,unless you have a specific area on mind, I would save it for an other time.
If you heart is set on Corfu, then why not?
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